Abstract

The Comprehensive in vitro Proarrhythmia Assay (CiPA)
initiative employs analysis of a panel of cardiac ion channels, known to be
targeted by drugs resulting in heart failure. The Swiss CRO B’SYS generated and
validated recombinant cell lines which stably express the recommended ion
channels of the CiPA panel. It can be difficult to maintain a constant quality
of these cell lines in a continually passaged culture making this process
incompatible with a routine screening in high-throughput mode.

Optimized for these cell lines, acCELLerate developed a
protocol to freeze the cells in a highly functional state. Instantly after
thawing and without further cultivation, these Patch Ready Cells (PRCs) exhibit
a strong functional expression of the ion channels and display a smooth but
durable cell membrane. The PRCs have been qualified by automated patch-clamping
on a SyncroPatch 384PE (Nanion Technologies, Germany) to demonstrate their
applicability in high-throughput cardiotoxicity testing.